One
by RonaldAndMione
Summary: Albus comes to a conclusion over the Christmas holidays. Only his uncle Ron can make him change his mind.


_Gasp._

_Shudder of horror._

_A non-Romione story?_

_By RonaldAndMione?_

_Is this the real life?_

_Yes to all three questions. Had a plot-bunny that wouldn't leave (I've had it in my head for over a year, no joke) and wrote it a few months ago and finally decided to post it. This is the first time I've strayed from Ron/Hermione so be nice to me. :P It's also been really tough writing from Albus' view because we have hardly any idea of what he's like. Hope you find my version of the next generation interesting. :)_

**One**

It was a particularly cold January day but the Potter household was lively, almost chaotic. Albus Severus Potter thought it was. It was his sister's tenth birthday and he was simply trying to avoid the pandemonium by hiding out in his and his brother's room. His father was downstairs trying to organise and set the table, though he sounded as if he were struggling. His older brother James was wreaking havoc somewhere, mischievous by nature. His sister, Lily, the special birthday girl, was being pampered and preparing herself for the birthday lunch. Her mother was tending to her and helping her. Whilst Lily was insistent that now she was 'double-digits' she didn't need help, she'd allowed her mother to help her all the same. Albus couldn't help but feel a little envious. His mother had never fussed about him... not that he'd needed her too.

"Albus!" he heard his father call out. "Can you come down here?"

Albus sighed and came out of his room.

"Hey, Dad." He said, greeting his father once he made it into the kitchen. "What's going on?"

"I need you to set the table," his dad said, taking off his glasses for a moment and rubbing his eyes wearily. "I'm running out of time, I need to finish this roast and I'm not going to get the table done if you don't help out—"

"Why can't James do it?" Albus asked, feeling a little annoyed that his older brother got to parade around the house, most likely hiding the unpleasant surprises Uncle George had given him for Christmas. He wondered whether he should mention to his father that James was planning on having the guests find the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes items today in the most unexpected places. James had certainly inherited his uncle's mischievous streak.

"Your brother isn't exactly the most reliable person," Harry said. "You know that. Now please, help us out. You're eleven years old."

"James is twelve," Albus pointed out, but said it quietly under his breath. As he put down the plates and began to set up the knives and forks, he asked his father, "Dad, could we have a round of chess afterwards?"

"There's no time!" Harry exclaimed, not even bothering to look away from the stove, which he was trying unsuccessfully to charm. "Albus, honestly, find something else to occupy yourself with, I'm busy."

Albus sighed and left the kitchen. He brushed his unruly black hair out of his eyes. As he removed his hand from his eyes he came face to face with James.

"Merlin!" he exclaimed. "James, what are you doing?"

"None of your business, Nosy." James said, walking past him and placing something behind a vase of flowers next to the kitchen doorway.

"Could I help?" Albus asked, feeling rather bored and wanting a bit of fun, which his brother could surely provide.

"No, sorry. You'll only slow me down." James said. "And as Dad has pointed out to himself several times, the guests will be here pretty soon."

"What am I supposed to do, then?" Albus asked.

"How am I supposed to know?" James shot back. "Help Mum pamper Lils? I dunno. Check up on them. Remind them there are people coming in ten minutes. Let them know that they're getting fancy for a reason." James ran off towards the bathroom, and Albus was fearful for what his unsuspecting relatives may find in there.

Albus sighed, feeling that all-too familiar feeling. It was something he'd been carrying for awhile now, for a few years. It was the feeling that sometimes he was a waste of space, something unnecessary.

This feeling had intensified these Christmas holidays. He'd just returned from Hogwarts, where he was currently completing his first year. It was everything he'd ever imagined it'd be and more. Whilst he hadn't had the same adventures as his father and aunt and uncle had had, he'd certainly had a lot of fun with his cousins and the other friends he'd made. However, he'd missed his family dearly, but now that he was back, he was wondering if they had missed him at all when he was gone...

There seemed to be no attention on him and though Albus had never really liked having too many people doting on him, he had hoped his parents might spend a bit more time with him. All they seemed to have done these past few weeks was care for Lily, preparing for her birthday, and scold James for flooding the fourth floor toilets. In a few days he would be going back to school and he and his dad hadn't even had a chess match together!

It was rather difficult being a middle child.

Albus went up the stairs, hoping that perhaps Lily might want to play a quick game of something before their large family showed up. He knocked on the door and opened it without waiting.

"Hey, Lily, I was wondering if you—"

"Oh, you look great!" his mum gushed as Lily twirled on the spot.

"Oh, hi, Mum," Albus greeted her, though she barely acknowledged him.

"Albus, she looks great, don't you think?" she said, eyes not leaving Lily.

"Oh, yeah, she looks—"

"And Mum, oh, Mum, I'll wear the red bow!" Lily said, jumping excitedly to her cluttered dressing table. "The one you gave me!"

"Oh, absolutely!" his mother exclaimed, opening her arms wide for her now bow-wearing daughter to run into. "My little girl!"

"I'm not little any more, though," Lily pointed out. "I'm now double-digits!"

"Of course," Ginny said, running her fingers through Lily's red hair. "My beautiful, wonderful girl!"

Albus let out a sigh and closed the door. For a brief moment he wondered whether his mother or sister noticed he'd left, but then he decided they probably hadn't even realised he'd entered in the first place.

He now knew why he had always felt like the least loved one. It was because he _was_. His mother had always wanted a daughter. It explained why she always doted on Lily. She'd probably been hoping _he'd_ be a girl.

_Dad too, probably,_ Albus thought bitterly. _He had probably only wanted two kids and to name them after his parents. Instead, he ended up with me and had to come up with _Albus Severus_ before finally getting his Lily._

Everything made sense now! It was the only logical conclusion. He was the boy that no one wanted!

Albus frowned and chewed on his bottom lip, marching into his and James' room and closing the door with a slam, something very unlike him.

_If it weren't for me, James would have his own room. That's probably why he always wants to exclude me from his ideas._

Albus swallowed, trying not to tear up. He was eleven years old. He was a student at Hogwarts. He did not cry. He did allow himself to sniff, however, and wish that Lily's party would be cancelled. He did not feel up to seeing his large, enthusiastic family.

As soon as he'd thought that, the doorbell's lively ring went through the house, signifying that someone from his extremely large family had arrived. Albus sighed.

"ALBUS!" his father shouted at him from downstairs, sounding positively frazzled. "CAN YOU GET THAT?"

Albus' frown only increased. He was tempted to shout out '_Why doesn't James get it?_' but knew it would be pointless. He was the least loved child. It would only make sense for him to get it, rather than James or Lily.

He sniffed once more and wiped his nose with the sleeve of his Weasley jumper, the one his grandmother had given him a few weeks ago for Christmas. He glanced up at the door of his room, about to get up and leave his room, when he heard loud cries of 'Hello!' and 'Happy Birthday!'

Lily had opened the door herself and, if Albus knew his family well, which he did, it was for Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey, who always showed up first. That meant that Molly and Lucy were here, too. Albus considered going down to greet them, but he wasn't really in the mood. He just wanted to go to sleep and dream of Christmas at Hogwarts, which would most likely be infinitely better than coming home to discover you were the least loved child of your family.

_Rose'll be here soon, then,_ Albus thought hopefully, for his cousin Rose was one of the best people he knew. _Aunt Hermione usually shows up just after Uncle Percy._

Albus got up to open the door of his room. He peered over the stairs and saw an excited Lily dragging Molly and Lucy by the hands into the living room, all the while exclaiming, "I'm double digits! I'm like you!" Molly was seventeen, currently completing her sixth year, and Lucy was in third year and thirteen.

"You _are_ like us!" Molly exclaimed. "And in a year and a half you'll be on your way to Hogwarts!"

"You won't be there, though," Lily said, crossing her arms and pouting. Molly was finishing the June before the September Lily started.

"_I_ will be, though," Lucy pointed out. "You'll have me."

Lily brightened at this and asked as politely as she could whether she could take her presents from them. Albus was about to go back into his room when he heard the doorbell ring again.

His father went forward to answer the door, looking much calmer. Since Lily had finished preparing, his mother was free to go and fix the mess their dad had made. Albus loved his father dearly, but Harry Potter simply could not cook to save his life.

Albus watched as his father's face completely changed. A wide grin spread out across his face and Albus knew at once that he was right – it was Aunt Hermione and Uncle Ron who were here. Even someone as young as Albus could see that the three of them were as close as the stitches on a Weasley jumper.

Aunt Hermione came into view first, hugging Harry and kissing him lightly on the cheek. Uncle Ron stepped in afterwards, grinning at his best mate and giving him a pat on the back. Rose and Hugo came in after them, talking excitedly amongst themselves. Hugo had a camera hanging from his neck, as usual. He was as renowned for his love of photography as Grandpa Arthur was for his love for muggles.

"I'm sorry we're late," Aunt Hermione apologised as they came into the entrance hall. "Ron simply would not budge until a few minutes ago."

"Hermione's bloody ment—"

"Ron! Don't curse!" Aunt Hermione interjected, gesturing to the children, not knowing that Rose at least had already begun saying her father's famous catchphrase.

"Yes, love," Uncle Ron said, rolling his eyes at her, a smile on his face.

Rose spotted Albus watching the scene below and quickly ran up to him. "Albus!" she exclaimed, giving him a hug. "It's so good to see you!"

"It's only been a few days, Rose," Albus said, hugging her back. He cracked a smile for the first time that day.

"Oh, well!" Rose said, waving her hand in a 'pish, posh' sort of manner. "Where's Lily? I haven't had a chance to wish her 'happy birthday' yet. We've got her present, Hugo and I. Do you know what it is? Of course you don't, no one's told you. We got her _Hogwarts, A History_. Dad was really against it, but Mum obviously won out in the end. I don't know why he was so against it, though, _Hogwarts, A History_ is a wonderful book, although for some reason he and Hugo just don't—"

"She's downstairs, Rose," Albus interrupted. Rose could be so much like Aunt Hermione sometimes it wasn't funny. She'd also inherited her mother's fascination with books, _Hogwarts, A History_ in particular.

"Oh, all right," Rose said, brushing some bushy red hair out of her blue eyes. "Why aren't you down there, then?"

"Oh," Albus said simply. "I just..."

"What?" Rose asked. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Albus replied. "I just don't feel up to going down there. It's a bit chaotic, you know."

"Oh," Rose said knowingly, nodding her head. "I see what you mean. It does get that way when we all get together. Come down soon, though."

Albus nodded. "Yeah, thanks."

Rose turned and walked down the stairs. Albus watched as she joined their cousins, adding her gifts to the growing pile. Grandma Molly and Grandpa Arthur had arrived with their presents, as well as Bill and Fleur with Victoire, Dominique and Louis. Though they were older, they still joined the younger children, jabbering away with their cousins whilst they waited for everybody else to show up.

Albus turned around and went back into his room, getting out his copy of _Hogwarts, A History_. He sat down and began to read it, writing down bits and pieces to include in his History of Magic essay. Before long, there was a knock on the door. Albus cleared his throat and called for the person to come in.

He was a little surprised to see Uncle Ron enter his room, but glad anyway. Uncle Ron was really nice and they got along well. He was a great person to play chess against.

"Hey," Uncle Ron said cheerfully.

"Hi," Albus replied.

"What are you doing with _Hogwarts, A History_?" Uncle Ron asked. "It's bad enough that you're reading it, but during _Christmas _break, on your sister's _birthday_? That's even worse!"

Albus managed to muster up a small smile at that. "I've got homework."

"And why are you doing homework on your sister's birthday?" Uncle Ron asked him. "Fred and Roxanne are here already."

Albus shrugged. "Need to."

Uncle Ron frowned at that. "Is everything all right?" he asked Albus, sitting down next to him on his bed.

Albus shrugged again. "Yeah."

But Uncle Ron's frown only increased. "You sure?" he asked again.

Albus began to nod but then stopped suddenly. For some reason, he just couldn't lie to Uncle Ron. "No," he said.

"Your mum and dad are really worried about you," Uncle Ron told him.

"Doubt it," said Albus harshly, and Uncle Ron immediately knew something was seriously troubling Albus, because Albus would never speak in such a harsh tone for no reason.

"All right, what is it?"Uncle Ron asked.

"It's... you're just going to deny it." Albus said.

"Deny it?" Uncle Ron repeated, sounding surprised. "Is it something I did? I'm sorry it was, Al, I normally don't realise I've—"

"No, it's not you. You haven't done anything."

"Then what is it?" Uncle Ron asked in a softer, concerned sounding tone.

Albus looked down at his now-closed _Hogwarts, A History_, staring at the intricate designs on the front cover. Finally, he said in a quiet, uncertain voice, "Do Mum and Dad wish I wasn't born?"

There was a part of him screaming at him to look up at Uncle Ron and see his reaction, but Albus was too scared; there was another part of him telling him that Uncle Ron's reaction would only confirm his suspicions.

After a few moments, Uncle Ron asked, "_Why_ would you ask something like that?" He seemed genuinely shocked.

Albus shrugged. "It just feels like it, sometimes."

"No one wishes you weren't born, Al," Uncle Ron said softly. "I don't know where you got that idea, but it's bloo- it's mental."

"I think Mum wishes I were a girl. Dad too, probably. He wanted to call two kids after his parents. I'm the third kid, the odd one out, the one that was meant to be a girl and meant to be called Lily."

"Albus," Uncle Ron began, "that doesn't mean they don't love you just as much as James and Lily."

"You have to say that," Albus pointed out. "You're my uncle."

"I have to say it because it's true!" Uncle Ron exclaimed. "And you don't deserve to go around thinking that it's not."

"Mum and Dad have barely said a word to me all holidays. They've just been taking care of Lily and talking to James about not getting into trouble. Dad and I haven't even had a chess match!"

"Al," Uncle Ron began, using a soft, consoling voice that Albus had never heard from him before, "you know how busy it gets during Christmas for our families. I don't think James helped things by flooding the fourth floor toilets. Your mum and dad needed to do those things. It doesn't mean that they didn't miss you or didn't want you back home."

"It feels like it, though," Albus told him. "A lot. And not just over these holidays. I've been feeling it for awhile now."

Uncle Ron was quiet for a moment, before finally looking at Albus. "You know something?"

Albus was a little afraid of what Uncle Ron might say to him, but ignored it and asked, "What?"

"I felt the exact same way for a really, really long time."

Albus was silent as he mused over this. "You... what?" he finally managed to get out.

"I thought the exact same things you're thinking right now." Uncle Ron said, a small, uncomfortable laugh escaping him. Albus knew Uncle Ron was being reminded of a worse time, and also knew that Uncle Ron was not lying to him. He had in fact thought the exact same thing.

"If you don't feel good talking about it—" Albus began.

"No, no," Uncle Ron interrupted. "You... you need to hear this, Al. I'm not going to let you go on thinking that you're least loved or not important or that everyone wanted you to be a girl." Uncle Ron swallowed and closed his eyes for a brief moment.

"You know Grandma Molly and Grandpa Arthur had seven kids, yeah?" Uncle Ron said when he opened his eyes once more.

Albus nodded. "Yeah, obviously."

Uncle Ron cracked a small smile at that. "Right, obviously. Anyway, your mum is the only girl. She's also the youngest."

Albus' green eyes widened in realisation.

"And I was the son right before her," Uncle Ron said. "So, I reckon I know pretty well how you're feeling."

Albus heaved a sigh. "Yeah," he murmured. "Gosh, I'd never thought about that."

"Thing is, it was even worse for me," Uncle Ron told him. "I had _six_ other kids to compete against for Mum and Dad's attention. It was pretty difficult, let me tell you."

"I can imagine," Albus said, feeling glad that Uncle Ron knew what he was talking about. He was also a little embarrassed – considering what Uncle Ron had to go through, he had it pretty good.

"Uncle Bill was the oldest. He was the responsible one. The head boy, the popular one. Uncle Charlie was the athletic one, the legend in Quidditch. Uncle Percy was the genius. Fred and George were the pranksters, the guys you couldn't help but love. And Gin—your mum was the girl. No matter what she did, it was always brilliant, simply because she was the first girl born into the Weasley family in generations."

"Wow," Albus said.

"And then there was me."

"But you're the brave one!" Albus said. "You went with Dad into the chamber of secrets when you were thirteen to save my mum! You fought in the Battle of Hogwarts! And the Battle of the Ministry! And you were so young! Why would you think you were least loved?"

"I didn't see what everyone else saw," Uncle Ron said, a small smile on his face. "Like you."

"I'm nothing," Albus said, crossing his arms and sighing.

Uncle Ron visibly winced at that. "You're not," He said firmly. Albus looked up at him with wide eyes. Uncle Ron sighed. "You're not," he repeated, in a softer voice. "Don't ever think that."

"I am, though!" Albus said. "James is the prankster, Lily is the friendly, exciting, fun-loving one, and then there's me in the middle, just Al."

"You're not 'just Al.'" Uncle Ron said to him. "You know how long I thought I was 'just Ron?'" Albus shook his head. "Eighteen years. Only after the Battle of Hogwarts did I finally see what everyone had been telling me for such a long time."

"You proved to yourself you were brave during the battle?"

"I didn't need proof, though," Uncle Ron told him. "I just needed to open my eyes. And let me tell you – war does open your eyes. Thing is, I'm pretty sure we're not going to be having another war any time soon. Your dad and I are going to make sure of that." Albus grinned at him. "So, we need to open your eyes in another way. Perhaps we could borrow your dad's glasses, hm?" Albus let out a laugh at that. Uncle Ron gave him a genuine grin, then let it fade away.

"You know your dad and I have been best mates for years, right?"

"Yeah," Albus said. "Of course."

Uncle Ron's grin returned, no doubt due to the fact that he was reminiscing about all the good times he's had with Harry Potter. "I still remember when he told us that he and your mum were going to have another baby."

"Me?" Albus asked him, to clarify.

"You," Uncle Ron said, nodding. "He was so... happy. It was just brilliant."

"But then he found out I was going to be a boy," Albus said disappointedly.

"He and your mum found out after you were born. They had known James was going to be a boy beforehand, but they wanted to wait with their second kid." Uncle Ron told him. "Do you think that, if they were that desperate for it to be a girl, they would have waited? Don't you think that if they were that excited at the thought of having a girl, they would have wanted to know straight away?"

"I suppose you're right," Albus said, although that didn't necessarily prove anything.

"And you should have seen him after you were born," Uncle Ron continued. "He raced out, I think about a minute after you were born, into the waiting room, where we all were, and exclaimed that it was a boy. Al, let me tell you... the smile on his face... it was incredible," Uncle Ron smiled, remembering the moment. "It was huge. And after that, every time I'd see him, I'd hear, 'Oh, guess what Al did today?'"

"I bet it stopped after I was about a year old, huh?" Albus asked, though he was smiling at the pride he imagined on his father's face.

"Who said it ever stopped?" Uncle Ron said, a sly smile creeping onto his face.

There was a knock on the door and Albus saw his mother's head peep through.

"Al?" she asked. "Are you all right? We're all so worried about you, and Lily is refusing to open any presents until her big brother shows up."

"Really?" Albus asked, eyes lighting up.

"Of course," his mother replied. "What's wrong?"

Albus turned to his uncle, who was smiling at him. "Nothing," Albus said. "Absolutely nothing."

His mother didn't look completely certain, but beckoned for him to come downstairs, extending her hand out to him. Though he was eleven years old, a student at Hogwarts, he reached out and took her hand, telling her he loved her. His mother smiled proudly, her brown eyes fixated on his, and said those same words back.

He believed her. He believed his Uncle Ron.

They came downstairs, Uncle Ron behind them, to find the entire family in the sitting room. It was quiet but for Harry Potter's voice.

"And then, Albus told me, that it was impossible for that to have happened!"

Everyone laughed.

"He saw right through my joke!" Harry Potter exclaimed. "Because he's a genius, let me tell you."

Albus' grin couldn't have been any wider.

"The genius is here!" Uncle Ron announced and everyone turned to face the stairs. Though Albus hated too much attention, seeing his entire family smiling at him and exclaiming 'hello's', his father's and James' smiles the widest of all, and seeing Lily running over to him and dragging him by the hand towards his cousins, made him feel really good.

It made him feel really loved.

And maybe he didn't really know what he was yet. Maybe he wasn't the prankster, or the friendly, carefree one like his siblings were. Maybe he wasn't the smart one like Rose, or a photographer like Hugo. But after talking to Uncle Ron, Albus realised that it didn't really matter. Maybe he'll find out later on in life who he really was. Maybe he never would. But did it really matter? Did he really need to be a 'one' in something?

No.

He was loved by his family just as much as he loved them, and that was a lot, and more than enough to keep him going for a very long time.


End file.
